Injection

Injection
February | 2012
The magazine from ENGEL for the plastics industry.
Dolphin: First series production
Softtouch-surface in just a single
process step
Page 13
For more efficiency and ergonomics
ENGEL victory 500 with new design
Page 15
Three in one
Highly-integrated turnkey solution
for Dura Automotive
Page 18
Heartbeat of the factory
Philips combines three component
injection moulding with in-mould labelling
Page 20
Easy with easix
Additional functionality of the ENGEL CC/RC 200 control unit:
complete integration of multiple-axis robots
Page 8
be the first.
More efficiency thanks to
complete robot integration
Dr. Peter Neumann,
CEO ENGEL Holding
Crisis, what crisis? If you believe public opinion, the world economy is headed
straight for the next credit crunch. Cyclical changes in demand will always
exist, and the peaks and troughs will be more pronounced than ever. This is
the cost of globalisation and transparent communications. But the ENGEL
Group's business activities are as positive as always. And if you compare
the stable and successful volume of orders for the past few months with the
topics that currently dominate the headlines, you might be excused for thinking that people are trying to talk themselves into the next crisis. The global
economic crisis dominates public media – but it still hasn't reached ENGEL.
Why is that? – Plastics processors seek stable partnerships and ENGEL as
an owner-managed company guarantees its customers stability for the future.
This is becoming increasingly important for our customers. At the same time,
however, companies are increasingly turning to automation, and expect to
see consistent use of automation solutions turn into a competitive advantage.
Automation means reducing the wage bill, and being able to produce even
complex parts quickly and efficiently with best-in-class quality. In the past
few years, ENGEL has taken decisive steps to continue to strengthen its
customers' ability to perform.
For example, ENGEL set new standards in economy and innovativeness
with the recent extensions to the ENGEL viper robot series. With innovative
software features such as vibration control and mass identification, the viper
model range is unique on the linear robot market. And it offers extremely easy
operation of the overall system via the ENGEL injection moulding machines'
CC 200 control units. The overall performance of the automated production
cell can thus be easily and reliably optimised to guarantee efficiency and
quality in resulting production.
Now it's time to take the next step: ENGEL easix now supports full integration
and operation of industrial robots by brand-name partner companies with the
CC 200 machine control unit without needing a Euromap 67 interface (p. 8
and 16). This sets the ENGEL solution apart from the many other suppliers
whose understanding of integrating multiple-axis industrial robots is that of
simply mirroring the robot's user interface on the injection moulding machine's
display, without removing the need for the users to familiarise themselves
with the two different control approaches. The ENGEL product developers'
primary goal is thus: if you can operate the injection moulding machine, you
can operate the robot, too. ENGEL is the global leader in injection moulding
machine automation. With our network of sales facilities and representatives,
we provide targeted automation competency on site to be able to offer comprehensive consulting services to our customers around the world and thus
define the most meaningful choice of automation solution.
Imprint
Publisher: ENGEL AUSTRIA GmbH | Ludwig-Engel-Straße 1, A-4311 Schwertberg, Austria, www.engelglobal.com
Editorial team: Susanne Zinckgraf, ENGEL | Markus Haderer, ENGEL | Gerd Liebig, ENGEL (responsible editor).
Injection is the ENGEL customer magazine. It is published regularly in German and English. Articles may be reprinted with the editor’s
consent and reference to source.
2_ENGEL injection-2011
Retrospective
NCurrent
ewsEvents
4
ENGEL worldwide. around the corner.
Fairs, events, projects
8
Easy with easix
Fully integrated multi-axis robots
10
Fakuma 2011 – a great success for ENGEL
Customers' attention grabbed by clearmelt application
12
1000th ENGEL ecodrive machine
ENGEL awards prize to Volkswagen at Fakuma
13
Dolphin: First series production has started
Softtouch-surface in just a single process step
14
Most innovative supplier
ENGEL receives Supplier Leadership Award from Johnson Controls
15
For more efficiency and ergonomics
ENGEL victory 500 with new design
16
Getting started without programming skills
ENGEL easix improves machine availability for Key Plastics
18
Three in one
Highly-integrated turnkey solution for Dura Automotive
20
Heartbeat of the factory
Philips combines three component injection moulding with in-mould labelling
22
Lord of the rings
Parker Hannifin banks on best-in-class economy for o-rings
24
Single source for global business
Wide-ranging technological competency secures competitive advantage
for Argomm
26
Eye-to-eye with the automotive industry
Sieper manufacturing for collectors' cabinets and children's play rooms
A new line-up in Technology and Production management at ENGEL AUSTRIA
GmbH from 1st January 2012. Dr. Hubertus Schulte (2nd from left) an expert with
international experience has taken over this important position. The ENGEL AUSTRIA Management Team (from left to right): Gotthard Mayringer (CFO), Dr. Hubertus Schulte (CTO), Christian Pum (CSO) and Dr. Peter Neumann (CEO).
_3
ENGEL injection-2011
ENGEL worldwide. around the corner.
An additional 1000 square metres
ENGEL Automation Technology in Hagen,
Germany, growing
Construction work in Hagen is in full sway as ENGEL
Automation Technology, Germany, looks to expand.
The production area in particular will benefit from significant extension, with a new hall to be added by
April 2012. The expansion will provide an additional
1,000 square metres in total. Of the new floor space,
750 square metres will be devoted to the assembly of
robots and other automation solutions whilst new office
space will account for 250 square metres: the staffing level
at ENGEL automation in Germany will also be increased.
“ENGEL's market share in the field of automation technology is growing all the time, and we've reached our
capacity limit”, says Jörg Fuhrmann, Managing Director
of ENGEL Automatisierungstechnik Deutschland, explaining the reason for the investment. ENGEL Automatisierungstechnik Deutschland is set to celebrate its
10th anniversary in April 2012 – by when the new hall
and offices should be up and running.
Fit for High Performance
Brau Beviale in Nuremberg
With the shortest cycle times and highest injection
speeds, all-electric injection moulding machines are
steadily capturing the market for high-performance
and high-speed applications. At the Brau Beviale trade
fair, which took place in Nuremberg from 9th to 11th
November 2011, ENGEL AUSTRIA was using video
presentations to demonstrate the dramatic cuts to unit
costs that innovative machine technology can facilitate
in the field of cap and closure production. On board:
The ENGEL e-cap series which sets new standards on
the caps and closures market.
“ENGEL's market share in the
field of automation engineering is growing all the time.“
Jörg Fuhrmann, Managing Director
ENGEL Automatisierungstechnik
Deutschland
Doubling production
ENGEL invests in South Korea
Building contractors and Managing Directors of ENGEL automation and ENGEL in Germany Jörg Fuhrmann (right) and Rolf Saß
(left) with the architect Bernd Neuhaus.
4_ENGEL injection-2012
ENGEL's small to mid-range machine works in Pyungtaek City is growing. The capacity will be nearly
doubled,at the same time, the machine park is being
expanded. All told, ENGEL is investing 8 million euros
in South Korea to do justice to the growing domestic
market and the increasing demand from south-east
Asia and India. "The growth drivers in the region include
the mobile phone industry and manufacturers of LED
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ießlösungen für
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ERİ TİC. LTD. ŞTİ.
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- B142 No:30 | TR-34235
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212 438 50 42 |
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ngel.at
be the first.
recently, ensures the highest possible quality standards
at all training centres, across the board and around
the world.
Now with a Technical Centre
ENGEL invests in India
TV sets, followed by the automotive industry", says
Robert Bodingbauer, Managing Director of ENGEL Machinery Korea Ltd. Instead of the current 650, the aim is
for South Korea to build some 1100 machines a year.
Measurable success
ENGEL training with new test offers
Year after year, some 3000 employees from plastics
processing firms take part in seminars or workshops
at one of ENGEL's 14 global training centres. Now
they can take a final examination to complete their
course. “For those who join a course, it is becoming
ever more important to get objective feedback on how
much knowledge is actually conveyed”, reveals Robert
Brandstetter, head of training at ENGEL Austria in
Schwertberg. The final examinations are offered for all
regular courses around the world. At the same time,
ENGEL sheds light on the effectiveness of the training services. A quality assurance system, developed
ENGEL extended its sales base in Mumbai to include
a technical centre and a seminar centre. In making
the investment, the manufacturer of injection moulding
machines and automation specialist is addressing the
rising demands on plastics processing companies
in India. “The Indian market for injection moulding is
transforming beyond recognition”, says Jitendra Devlia,
Managing Director of ENGEL MACHINERY INDIA Pvt.
Ltd. “Issues like maximum product quality, long-term reproducibility, proper mould protection and set-up time
optimisation are becoming ever more important to our
clients.” The technical centre will be used for machine
demonstrations, customer trials, pre-production and
running mould trials. Courses offered at the newly created training centre will lead to qualifications for machine
operators and maintenance technicians; the basics of
plastics processing will also be taught.
“The Indian market for injection moulding is transforming beyond recognition.”
Jitendra Devlia, Managing Director
of ENGEL MACHINERY INDIA
_5
ENGEL injection-2012
Focus on efficiency
Plast Eurasia in Istanbul
An annual event from now on
Technology Day in Turkey
At Plast Eurasia from 27th to 30th October 2011 in Istanbul, efficiency was the key focus at the trade fair booth
of ENGEL Enjeksiyon Makineleri Tic. Ltd. Şti, ENGEL
AUSTRIA's subsidiary in Turkey. Based on two exhibits
ENGEL demonstrated approaches to increasing productivity in injection moulding while at the same time cutting
unit costs. The keys to success: process integration,
automation and all-electric drive technology.
More than 100 injection moulders took up the invitation by ENGEL Enjeksiyon Makineleri and attended the
1st Technology Day in Istanbul. The keynotes focused
on system solutions for cost and resource-efficient
production and premium quality standards. "The trend
among plastics processing companies in Turkey is
towards more quality awareness in combination with
the goal of reducing manufacturing costs," said Abdulkadir Topuçar, the Managing Director of ENGEL Turkey
in the course of the event. "This is why our Technology
Day is not focusing on individual machines, but on
system solutions that can be tailored to match the
requirements of the companies." With the premiere
being a great success, ENGEL is planning to host a
Technology Day in Turkey on an annual basis in future.
More than 400 visitors
Molder’s Corner in Hagen
Football unites people – not just fans in the stadium, but
also injection moulders at the 11th Molder’s Corner by
ENGEL Deutschland in Hagen. 400 plastics processors
followed the invitation to the traditional exchange of
information and experience and to the ENGEL football
championship. "Exchanging views on innovations and
experience in injection moulding and automation technology; this is what makes Molder’s Corner so special,
and ensures a full house every year", enthuses Rolf
Saß, Managing Director of ENGEL Deutschland in Hagen, talking about the successful event.
"The trend in Turkey is towards more quality awareness in combination with the
goal of reducing manufacturing costs."
Abdulkadir Topuçar
Managing Director ENGEL Turkey
Capture the efficiency
Packaging Days in Mexiko
"Exchanging views on innovations and experience;
this is what makes Molder’s
Corner so special."
Rolf Saß, Geschäftsführer
von ENGEL Deutschland in Hagen
6_ENGEL injection-2012
Shortest cycle times, maximum output, best-in-class
energy efficiency: an ENGEL e-cap 3440/420 demonstrated the excellent performance of the all-electric ENGEL
e-cap series at the ENGEL DE MEXICO Packaging Days
at Querétaro in November 2011. Using a 96x mould by
Schöttli it produced more than 123,000 caps an hour with
a cycle time of just 2.8 seconds. More than 100 plastics
processors took part in the event. The huge interest that
the Mexican packaging industry shows for ENGEL's Open
House reflects the great significance of this market sector
in the region. "There is no other country in the world that
consumes more bottled soft drinks and water per capita
than Mexico," emphasises Peter Auinger, Managing Director of ENGEL DE MEXICO. All told, the packaging sector accounts for 60 percent of the Mexican injection moulding market. Besides caps for bottled drinks, packaging
for fruit and vegetables, buckets for paint, and cosmetics
packaging are all produced on ENGEL injection moulding
machines in Mexico. The visitors to the ENGEL Packaging
Days weren't just treated to machine demonstrations but
to an exiting programme of keynotes on innovative processing technologies and future challenges on the market.
"The packaging industry is
an important target group.
All told, it accounts for 60
percent of the regional injection moulding market."
Efficient system solutions
Saudi Plastics & Petrochem in Riyadh
Saudi Plastics & Petrochem in Riyadh/Saudi Arabia
end of November 2011 was a great success for
ENGEL. Concluding business deals at the fair and
gaining various new customer contacts confirm the
high potential of the plastics industry in Saudi Arabia
as well as the outstanding ENGEL market position
in Middle East. ENGEL had an own stand for the
first time at the Saudi-Arabian Plastics Trade Fair,
which was focused on injection moulding machines
and system solutions for the construction and packaging industry. „According to the latest prognoses
the construction industry’s market volume will double
within the next two years“, says Andreas Leitner, Sales Manager Middle East at ENGEL. „This boom was
clearly perceptible in Riyadh.“ Apart from the construction industry, packaging has profited as well by the
very high population growth rate and the continuously
increasing prosperity in Saudi Arabia.
Peter Auinger, Managing Director ENGEL DE MEXICO
ENGEL right from the outset
Vocational college takes delivery
of a new machine
In November 2011, the Berufsschule Steyr 1 (a vocational
college) in Steyr/Austria commissioned a new ENGEL e-victory 40 injection moulding machine with an integrated takeoff robot. The production plant was supplied by ENGEL to
support the training of plastics technicians and plastics
designers. The partnership between ENGEL AUSTRIA
and the college goes back more than 25 years. "It is very
important for us that trainees also have the opportunity
to work with state of the art machines, and experience
the thrill of innovative technologies," emphasises Dr. Peter
Neumann, CEO ENGEL Holding. "If we want to combat the
lack of skilled labour, it isn't enough to just promote training
internally." At the machine hand-over ceremony, Hans Prihoda, the Master of Federal Guild of Plastics Processors,
emphasised the great importance of modern equipment at
educational facilities for Austria as an economic location.
„Saudi Arabia has the highest growth rate amongst all
countries in Middle East.“
Andreas Leitner, Sales Manager
Middle East, ENGEL AUSTRIA
Preview 2012
Medtec
Stuttgart/Germany
13th-15th March
NPE
Orlando/USA
1st-5th April
Chinaplas
Shanghai/China
18th-21st April
Plast
Milan/Italy
8th-12th May
Plastpol
Kielce/Poland
29th May-1st June
ENGEL
St. Valentin, Linz
Symposium Austria
13th-14th June
Dr. Peter Neumann, CEO ENGEL Holding, (left) and Franz Kronsteiner, Director
of BS Steyr (vocational college), at the machine hand-over ceremony.
_7
ENGEL injection-2012
Johannes Brandstötter, Head of Sales, Automation with ENGEL AUSTRIA | Jörg Fuhrmann, Head of Automation Systems with ENGEL
AUSTRIA and Managing Director ENGEL Automation Technology, Germany
Easy with easix
Additional functionality of the ENGEL CC/RC 200 control unit:
complete integration of multiple-axis robots
Whether multiple-component injection moulding, inmould labelling or insert technology, the trend towards
the integration of different process steps into a highlyautomated production cell continues at a fast pace. Al­
though this has benefits in terms of cost management
and cycle times, it frequently leads to a plethora of control
units and interfaces. Using easix, complete robot integration with the control unit on the injection moulding
machine, as an example, ENGEL has set out to prove
that this need not be.
"Fully integrated" what exactly does that mean?
Jörg Fuhrmann: Because ENGEL supplies injection
moulding machines and robots from a single source, full
integration of the two control landscapes is guaranteed
without needing a Euromap 67 interface. And precisely
this is the difference to solutions offered by many suppliers, which simply reproduce the user interface of the
robot on the monitor of the injection moulding machine,
so users are required to familiarise themselves with two
different operating scenarios. Anyone who can use the
injection moulding machine can also operate the robot;
this was ENGEL's objective.
8_ENGEL injection-2012
The RC 200 robot control unit is integrated as a subsystem of the CC 200 control unit on the machine.
Doesn't this make it too complicated in application?
Johannes Brandstötter: "Keep it simple" was one of
the major requirements that our customers stipulated,
and we've taken this to heart. To allow for simple and
fast programming and control of the robot, despite the
complexity of the overall system, the control unit offers
the users different user levels, from a simple view, to
a fully object-oriented visualisation of the sequence. In
other words, the control unit speaks same language as
the machine operator, the fitter, and the programmer
-- and the motto is: don't program, configure! Machine
operators can now handle many tasks themselves that
previously required programmers to be called in.
Jörg Fuhrmann: The decisive thing is that we ensure
simple controls and programming while keeping the full
feature scope. Of course, you could simplify the application by reducing functionality to an absolute minimum,
but this is exactly what we didn't want to do because it
would contradict another trend in the injection moulding
industry -- the trend towards increasing flexibility of machines and equipment.
ENGEL easix is the name for the integration of multiple-axis robots. But what about linear devices?
Johannes Brandstötter: Integration of ENGEL linear
robot controls has always been a standard feature. And
it doesn't matter to the control unit whether it actuates
the X, Y, and Z axes of a linear device, or the six rotary
axes of an industrial robot. The additional movement instructions for the multiple-axis robot integrate seamlessly
with the graphical user interface on the control unit. As
we are selling more and more viper robots as replacements for legacy devices or for deployment on third-party
machines, the robots are also optionally available with an
independent control unit and can cooperate with machines by any vendor via a Euromap 67 interface.
What other advantages does full integration of linear
and multiple-axis robots offer?
Jörg Fuhrmann: Integrating the control units gives the
user even more options for optimising the interplay between the injection moulding machine and the robot. The
integrated robot can access all of the machine parameters and start to take off parts before the mould is fully
open, thus reducing cycle time. We refer to this kind of
communication as zero time communication because
no time is lost for transmitting information via interfaces;
instead the information is processed by a single CPU.
Johannes Brandstötter: If a high level of precision is
required, the ENGEL viper's takeoff correction feature
offers benefits. In the case of hydraulic machines,
the mould opening strokes can vary by a couple
of millimetres. But if the robot is integrated
into the machine's control unit, it is aware of the current mould position, or it
autonomously updates the takeoff
or insert-placing position online.
This function ensures maximum reproducibility and
maximum part quality.
Jörg Fuhrmann:
We talked about the
user being able to
operate the robot by
the control unit on
the injection moulding
machine. Incidentally,
this also works the other
way round; that means that you can set
all of the relevant machine parameters via
the robot's manual control unit. For the
user this improves flexibility and time
efficiency because there is no need to
run to the machine control unit while
you're working on the robot.
Johannes Brandstötter: Purchasing
the injection moulding machine and
automation technology from a single
source doesn't just offer control technology benefits. Once the robot
is mounted on a machine,
the CE plate on the injection moulding machine loses
its validity. The whole plant needs to be reassessed
and recertified – this is a legal requirement that many
people underestimate. When ENGEL delivers the machine and the robot from a single source, we also take
care of testing and the declaration of conformity, and
we bear responsibility for the overall system. We deliver
our systems all over the world with a claim of being CEcompliant. For example, CE-compliant ENGEL systems
are operational in Asia.
_9
ENGEL injection-2012
Fakuma 2011: a great success for ENGEL
Customers' attention grabbed by
clearmelt application
With a constantly busy trade fair booth, exciting project enquiries and numerous
sales deals concluded, Fakuma 2011 was a great success for ENGEL AUSTRIA. The
system supplier's clear focus in Friedrichshafen was on automation. With five highly
integrated production cells at its trade fair booth in Hall A5, ENGEL demonstrated
the efficient and economic production of premium quality moulded parts based on
solutions tailored to a variety of applications.
Sensitive Surface was the technology that drew in the
crowds, a technology that shows automotive developers the path into the future of the smart cockpit. The
cockpit simulation at the ENGEL trade fair booth gave
trade visitors the opportunity to experience how cars will
be even more user-friendly than smartphones in future,
thanks to simple touch, feel and interact controls. Capacitive electronics will be replacing buttons and switches
in the cockpit of the future. "This trend not only gives
interior designers a new level of freedom; it also reduces
the costs of producing functional elements," says Franz
Füreder, Head of ENGEL Automotive. "We are already
talking to various OEMs and automotive companies. In
four to five years, the first vehicles will be equipped with
this technology."
Visitors to the fair were given
a sneak preview of the automobile cockpit of the future.
10_ENGEL injection-2012
ENGEL duo series extended at low end
Centre consoles with a sensitive surface were manufactured at the ENGEL trade fair booth on an ENGEL duo
350 injection moulding machine with a reversing plate
and combination mould in stack mould technology. This
was the first showing of this new machine size, which
brings the power of the duo large-scale machines to the
lower clamping force class.
This multiple component application first inserted a capacitive touch-skin foil into the mould and then back
injected PC/ABS. The thermoplastic carrier created by
this process was then flow-coated with polyurethane.
An ENGEL viper 20 and ENGEL viper 40 type linear robot
took care of component and part handling. This enabled
the ready-for-installation functional components to be
manufactured in one work step.
In the ENGEL clearmelt process, the layer of PUR fulfils
multiple functions at the same time. Its primary task is
that of protecting the premium quality surface of the
part. The coating's excellent degree of glossiness and
the 3-D effect that it creates are important side effects.
ENGEL implemented this exhibit in cooperation with
system partners. The mould maker is Schöfer from
Schwertberg/Austria, and the exclusive project partner
for the polyurethane technology is Hennecke in Sankt
Augustin/Germany. The function foils are supplied by
plastic electronic from Linz/Austria, with Magna Exterior
& Interior Systems from Munich/Germany supporting the
application technology side of the project.
Optimised leveraging of efficiency potentials
A separate exhibition space was dedicated to the
ENGEL viper robots. At Fakuma the starting shot was
fired for the new ENGEL viper 90. With immediate effect, viper robots, featuring maximum stability and the
highest degree of dynamism, are available with nominal
load-bearing capacities of 6 to 90 kilogrammes. The
new size will mainly be deployed by the automotive industry in combination with large-scale machines from
the ENGEL duo series. "The percentage of system
solutions delivered by ENGEL including automation is
thus steadily increasing," says Jörg Fuhrmann, CEO
ENGEL Automatisierungstechnik, Germany, and
Head of Automation Systems with ENGEL
AUSTRIA. "Energy potentials can only be
leveraged in an optimum way if all of the
plant's components mesh perfectly." Today
nearly one in two automated production cells
sold by European injection moulding machine
manufacturers is supplied by ENGEL, as is one in four
robots delivered to the injection moulding industry in
Europe. This makes ENGEL the clear global leader in
injection moulding machine automation, a fact that was
clearly reflected in the exhibits at Fakuma 2011.
Capacitive electronics replace
buttons and switches.
Fakuma highlights from 5 business units:
Automotive:
Welcome to the cockpit of the future
Highly-integrated and automated production of centre consoles with sensitive surface technology reduces manufacturing costs. The stars of the ring at
the fair: an ENGEL duo 350 ecodrive machine with
clearmelt equipment and two ENGEL viper robots.
Teletronics: Vertically electrified
The ENGEL e-insert 310V/100, the electrified variant of the vertical ENGEL insert machine, demonstrates its accuracy in high-precision manufacturing
of sensor housings for control electronics. Team
player: a fully-integrated ENGEL easix multiple-axis
industrial robot.
Medical: Process integration
saves production costs
Needle holders for insulin pens in a single process
step: this is made possible by an all-electric
ENGEL e-motion 200/100 T in cooperation with
a fully-integrated ENGEL easix multiple-axis robot.
And the application saves adhesive by directly overmoulding the needles.
Technical Moulding: Space-saving automation
An ENGEL victory 330H/200V/120 combi machine
and an ENGEL viper 12 linear robot cooperating on
a minimal footprint to produce bottle openers with
in-mould labelling and insert technology. Thanks to
tie-bar-less technology, the robot can reach into the
mould from the side.
Packaging: Ultra-short cycle times
All-electric injection moulding machines are making
inroads into high-performance applications: an allelectric ENGEL e-motion 740H/310W/180 T combi
producing lids for a newly developed ice cream
container in thin-wall, two-component technology
with in-mould labelling.
_11
ENGEL injection-2012
Fakuma 2011
Volkswagen
is the 1000th ENGEL ecodrive customer
The demand for energy saving options is unabated: after all, saving energy means reducing unit costs. ENGEL identified this trend at an early stage and paved the way for
hydraulic machines to a sustainable future with the servohydraulic ENGEL ecodrive.
At Fakuma, the injection moulding machine manufacturer celebrated the delivery
of its 1000th machine with ecodrive. Volkswagen in Braunschweig, Germany, will be
using this machine to produce dashboards for the Golf, Golf Plus and Tiguan models.
ecodrive servohydraulics realise
"Within the Volkswagen Group,
"Reducing the loss energies
energy savings of up to 70 perenergy efficiency isn't just an imhelps us to keep unit costs stacent compared to legacy hydrauportant consideration for our proble, and improve the division's
lic machines, thereby achieving
ducts, but for the entire process
competitiveness although enerconsumption levels on a par with
chain", emphasises Marco Heigy costs have risen."
nemann, who is responsible for
those of all-electric machines. This
machine planning at Volkswagen
is made possible by reducing the
Marco
Braunschweig's plastics technoloss energy during the machine's
Heinemann
logy unit. "Our growth strategy
idle phases. On top of this, the
Volkswagen
means that we need to deploy
oil cooling overhead is lower beexisting resources in a more efficicause, normally, only part of the
ent way." This made energy efficisupplied electrical energy is converted into kinetic energy, with the
ency an important decision making
remainder transferred to the hydcriterion for the latest investment
in the automobile group's injecraulic oil in the form of heat. ENGEL
tion moulding machine farm. "We
ecodrive reduces energy losses to
didn't expect to be operating
such a high extent that – with the
the millennium machine here in
exception of high performance
Braunschweig", says Heinemann, who was delighted
applications – only minimal heating of the hydraulic oil
to accept the award at the ENGEL trade fair booth at
occurs. Cooling water consumption at the oil cooler is
Fakuma.
reduced to a minimum, in many cases to zero.
Reducing energy consumption by up to 70 percent
Depending on the application and type of machine, hydraulic injection moulding machines fitted with ENGEL
Improving competitiveness
"By reducing the loss energies compared to our older
machines, we can now operate the new machines with
their superior equipment in a cost-optimised way. This
helps us to keep unit costs stable, and improve the
division's competitiveness although energy costs have
risen", says Heinemann. "One positive side-effect is the
machines' quiet action."
By now, one in two hydraulic injection moulding machines from the Austrian ENGEL works is equipped with
ENGEL ecodrive. This makes ENGEL the undisputed
market leader in the hydraulic injection moulding machine sector with energy-saving options. Thanks to the
successful market launch of ENGEL ecodrive, ENGEL
has substantially increased its turnover in the 101 to
400 tonne machine sector.
Marco Heinemann, Volkswagen, Klaus Hof, Key Account Manager,
ENGEL Deutschland, Christian Pum, CSO, ENGEL AUSTRIA, und
Christopher Vitz, General Manager, ENGEL Hannover, (from left to
right) at Fakuma 2011.
12_ENGEL injection-2012
More comfort in the driver’s cabin: blinds and covers of the new Mercedes-Benz Actros are produced with softtouch-surfaces applying the
Dolphin-method. (Picture: Daimler)
Dolphin: First series production has started
More comfort, that is the trend regarding the design of vehicle interiors, including
trucks. Moulded parts with softtouch-surfaces, which can be produced in just a single
process step applying the Dolphin-method, make an essential contribution to pro­
mote this trend. The first series application has started in autumn 2011. Daimler supplier
SOLE produces cockpit covers for the new Mercedes-Benz Actros by using Dolphin.
The production line, which is operated by SOLE S.p.A.,
Oderzo/Italy at the Daimler works premises in Wörth/
Germany, is composed of an ENGEL duo injection moulding machine with an horizontal intermediate rotary table
system, a multiple-axis industry robot and equipment for
physical foaming. First of all the carrier is injected and
then foamed in place with thermoplastic elastomer in
one total machine cycle. That is why the Dolphin-method
represents an economic alternative for the production of
hard/soft components in comparison to other conventional multi-component and foaming methods.
The highly integrated manufacturing method has been
developed by ENGEL Austria in cooperation with mould
manufacturer Georg Kaufmann, Busslingen/Switzerland
as well as with plastic manufacturer BASF, Ludwigshafen/Germany and P-Group, Filderstadt/Germany. It was
presented at the K-Fair 2007 together with automobile
supplier Johnson Controls, Burscheid/Germany back
then. The method has experienced further development
in the last few years thanks to SOLE and has been
optimized for mass production. Besides ENGEL, Georg
Kaufmann and P-Group are participating in the Actros
Project.
“The production start proceeded as planned”, says
Michael Fischer gladly, Sales Manager for Technologies
at ENGEL. “The Dolphin-method’s potential is enormous
due to the high level of process integration as well as of
the high quality concerning the components’ surfaces.”
“Negotiations with clients to start further series ap- Andrea Bicego (right), Head of Research and Deve- The production line manufactures cockpit covers
plications are currently in progress.” Michael Fischer, lopment at SOLE, with his team: Andrea Bellantoni, with softtouch-surface in just a single process
Sales Manager for Technologies at ENGEL
Stefano Fingolo and Luca Piovesan (from left to right). step. (Pictures: SOLE).
_13
ENGEL injection-2012
ENGEL receives the Johnson Controls Leadership Award in the innovation category (left to right): Bryan Gray (Group Vice President Customer Group Europe, Johnson Controls), Rolf Saß (Managing Director
of ENGEL Germany, Hagen subsidiary), Christian Pum (Sales Director, ENGEL AUSTRIA) and Terry Nadeau (Group Vice President
Purchasing, Johnson Controls). (Picture: Johnson Controls)
Johnson Controls honours ENGEL –
most innovative supplier
Johnson Controls Automotive Experience has conferred on ENGEL AUSTRIA the
European Supplier Leadership Award for 2011 in the innovation category. In doing
so, the automotive supplier has recognised the consistent innovative flair of the injection moulding machine manufacturer and automation expert. Johnson Controls
secures a competitive advantage by installing ENGEL’s highly integrated system
solutions around the world.
“ENGEL system solutions and technologies reduce
the weight of our products, help us make big savings
in production and significantly boost sustainability
and efficiency”, says Tobias Kickenweitz, purchasing
manager (moulds and systems) at Johnson Con­
trols Automotive Experience. Mr Kickenweitz singles
out the high energy efficiency of injection moulding
machines fitted with a servohydraulic ENGEL ecodrive, stressing that these machines meet two of
the criteria.
“We are very honoured to receive this award”, says
a delighted Christian Pum, Sales Director at ENGEL
AUSTRIA. “It clearly shows we are on the right track
in focusing our research and development on applications and specific sectors.” Mr. Pum accepted the
award together with Rolf Saß, Managing Director of
ENGEL Germany in Hagen. As Rolf Saß emphasises,
“To a large degree, the success of innovative solutions and technologies is a question of working with
14_ENGEL injection-2012
the right partner. With Johnson Controls, we have
a partner for the long term – one whose business
is also driven by innovation and one that is always
prepared to break new ground with us.”
To give one example of this, ENGEL and Johnson
Controls collaborated with other companies to develop the Dolphin process (P. 13). “This is a pioneering two-component injection moulding process that
enables moulded parts with high quality soft touch
surfaces to be manufactured in a single step. High
quality sandwich components can be produced very
quickly and cost effectively in this way”, says Tobias
Kickenweitz.
The victory 500 will be the largest machine in the ENGEL victory series in future.
ENGEL victory 500 – New design for
more efficiency and ergonomics
With its new design and innovative design features, the new ENGEL victory 500
injection moulding machine brings even more efficiency to manufacturing.
The victory 500 sets new standards in ergonomics
in particular, mainly thanks to two innovations. One
of them is the two-part safety gate on the clamping
unit which can be opened quickly and easily with just
one hand for minor intervention. The ENGEL product
designers have also created space to the right of the
machine control unit for depositing a laptop, clamping
data sheets, and for additional control units. In the new
design, the flow controllers are located behind a fixed
safety cover on the non-operator side.
Additionally, FEM analyses have helped to optimise the
mechanical properties of the individual machine components, while at the same time substantially reducing
the clamping unit weight.
The first adopter is Atek in Moravská Třebová/Czech
Republic. This automotive supplier operates moulds
with a size of up to 1100 x 1100 mm on an ENGEL
victory 3550/500 tech with a clamping force of 500
tonnes. Thanks to the tried-and-trusted tie-bar-less
technology of the victory model range, the automotive
supplier can deploy a far smaller machine than legacy
approaches would need for a mould of this size. In
some applications, not using tie-bar-less technology would mean investing in twice as much clamping
force.
"Tie-bar-less technology offers us many benefits, especially in multi-component injection moulding," says
Miroslav Kolísek, the proprietor and managing director
of Atek. Moulds for multi-component technology are
usually relatively large, but typically a comparatively
low clamping force is required on account of the fairly
small part surfaces projected. Since the clamping unit
in the ENGEL victory machines operates without tiebars, the mould can project beyond the edges of the
mould fixing platens.
_15
ENGEL injection-2012
Getting started without programming skills
Controlling multiple-axis robots is complicated and time-consuming. – This was a misconception that had established itself with Key Plastics in Lennestadt/Germany until
the automotive supplier decided to take a new course with its partner ENGEL. In November, the company commissioned a new injection moulding machine with fully-integrated multiple-axis robot for producing decorated trims. "Thanks to the ENGEL easix
integrated controls, our staff can now program more complex equipment themselves.
This improves plant availability," says Meinolf Patt, CTO in Lennestadt, summing up.
Premium decor parts for automotive interiors are one
of Key Plastics' specialties. "Vehicle interiors are playing an increasingly important role in the decision to
purchase", reports Meinolf Patt. "What this trend means
for us is that we need to keep on improving quality in
production despite increasing cost pressure. And this
will only work, if our production becomes more and
more efficient." This is why Key Plastics started to move
the assembly stage closer to injection moulding some
time ago, and to automate wherever possible and economically viable. This strategy also led to the investment
in the new production cell. ENGEL supplied a complete
package with an ENGEL duo 350 injection moulding
machine and an ENGEL easix multiple-axis industrial
robot. Key Plastics is one of the earliest adopters of
ENGEL easix, ENGEL's solution for complete integration of the industrial robot with the injection moulding
machine's control unit.
The new plant has manufactured 1500 pairs of trims
per day in three shift operations since mid-November.
The upper trims connect the dashboard to the front
windscreen in the Opel Insignia. They are an important
part of the interior design and use the same decor as
16_ENGEL injection-2012
the trims on the centre console and the interior door
panels. Currently five decor variants are in production
use: high-gloss black, striped silver or gold metallic,
and two wood decors.
Assembly moving closer to
the injection moulding process
The very narrow and long components are manufactured in a 1+1 cavity mould - for the left and right trim
– using PC/ABS and in-mould decoration. Key Plastics
uses printed rolls of foil for the decor. The rolls are
located above and below the moving mould mounting
platen. "There is a trend towards the use of rolls of foil,"
explains Andre Winkelmann, an application technician
with Key Plastics. "In comparison with in-mould labelling, this is a less expensive solution."
After injection moulding, the ENGEL easix robot takes
off the two components, feeds them to the cutting station, where a total of eight sprues are removed, and
then subsequently deposits them on the conveyor belt.
Currently, the five metal clips which the automobile manufacturer needs later on in order to install the trims in
the vehicle's cockpit, are inserted manually. And it is
The robot accesses the mould space from the
side to take off the two trims.
The project team is excited
about the successful start
with ENGEL easix: (from
left to right) Meinolf Patt,
Chief Technical Officer,
Thomas Kremer, maintenance, Andre Win­­­kel­mann,
application technician, Peker Osman, commissioning, (all with Key Plastics)
and Josef Quinke from
ENGEL Germany in Hagen.
into the CC 200 control unit on its injection moulding
machine. "Anyone who can use the injection moulding
machine can also operate the robot," explains Josef
Quinke, sales engineer with ENGEL Germany in Hagen. "At the end of the day, this solution also means
improving system availability," says Meinolf Patt. "Thus
far, we've always needed a programmer on site to cre­
ate a program or change something on the robot, but
the programmer wasn't always immediately available.
Because the machine operators can now handle the
required programming steps themselves, we have been
able to reduce the machine's non-productive times."
Soon to include assembly: thanks to the new, highly-integrated
production cell, Key Plastics has been able to improve efficiency in production.
precisely this step that the new production solution will
automate. "In a couple of weeks, the assembly device
for this task will reach us," says Winkelmann, "and then
the integrated production cell will deliver ready-for-dispatch components in a single step."
In future, Key Plastics will be looking to automate other
assembly tasks. What Patt mainly has in mind is more
complex assemblies. "The multiple-axis robot can adapt flexibly to a variety of handling tasks, and it's always
fast and precise into the bargain," emphasises Kremer.
"The new system opens up a huge potential to us."
Reducing the machine's non-productive times
The persons responsible at Key Plastics are fairly relaxed when they think about programming the robot in
order to integrate this additional step -- after all, the programming work thus far has been simple. "Previously,
we have needed a specialist with the command of the
programming language in order to program multipleaxis robots," says Thomas Kremer, who is responsible
for maintenance at Key Plastics. "With the new system,
you simply need to be familiar with the injection moulding machine's control unit. Pictograms guide the user
step-by-step through programming the robot."
And this is all possible because ENGEL has fully integrated the multiple-axis industrial robot's control unit
Sophisticated: using in-mould decoration to apply a high-gloss surface to the trims for the Opel Insignia cockpit. Five decor variants are
manufactured.
_17
ENGEL injection-2012
Three
in one
At its base in Strakonice in southern Bohemia, Dura Automotive is saving assembly
and logistical costs and raising the quality
of its components thanks to multi-component injection molding and the integration
of processing stages into a single manufacturing cell. The automotive supplier
produces more than 10 million door panels
every year, and the number is rising.
The market for plastic panels is expanding. At the same
time, demands on panels are becoming ever more
complex: clients expect high quality to be delivered at
the lowest possible prices; the weight of components
is expected to go down without impairing quality and
safety; and more and more functions are being directly
integrated into these plastic parts. “It takes a great deal
of innovative flair to offer low-cost, hard-wearing components with a first-class appearance for vehicles in all
price categories”, stresses Ralf Gerndorf, head of project management (glass and plastic) at Dura Automotive
in the North Rhine-Westphalian town of Plettenberg,
Germany, where production systems for all European
sites are planned with the cooperation of factories.
To maintain its leading international position on the market for plastic panels over the long term, Dura needs
to demonstrate this innovative ability on a daily basis
– and the company expects similar creativity from its
suppliers. One of Dura's long-standing partners in the
field of injection molding technology is ENGEL; project
managers from both companies hold regular meetings
to discuss new requirements and ideas. “In this way,
we often arrive at solutions that hadn't occurred to us
before”, says Gerndorf. One example of this approach
concerns the door panels for the Ford Focus: for many
years, Dura manufactured Ford A, B and C pillars from
PMMA for its biggest client using a single-component
injection molding process. Sprue was removed manually and molded parts were temporarily stored before
sealing foam was applied in a second step.
Multi-component technology
improves component properties
Dura now produces door panels of the latest generation in a single step as tri-component parts using
highly integrated manufacturing cells. ENGEL supplied
the necessary equipment as a complete package, and
also integrated a subsystem provided by Dura into the
overall concept. Two ENGEL duo 900 large injection
molding machines, each equipped with an ENGEL viper
40 linear robot, are positioned in parallel; between these
are the units required for the post-production of injection moulded parts: laser system, plasma treaters, sixaxis robots, foam sealing unit and curing oven. Since
post-production is faster than the injection molding process, it is possible for the two large-scale machines to
share one laser system.
The project team (from left): Jakub Havel, Michal Horský, Ralf
Gerndorf and Thomas Kaiser from Dura Automotive with Jürgen
Schulze from ENGEL.
18_ENGEL injection-2012
Duet: Two large ENGEL duo 900 machines operate in parallel; between them is
the post-production equipment.
production planner at Dura in Plettenberg. Dura is benefiting from new vibration control software. The software
allows to track component contours extremely finely for
the removal of sprue.
The duo machines work with 1+1-cavity molds. The
panels for the left and right sides of the vehicle are
simultaneously manufactured in one cycle. The base
support consists of ABS, the decorative layer of PMMA.
“Multi-component technology is enabling us to improve
the properties of our components”, confirms Ralf Gerndorf. “We can now combine a fine-looking finish with
high impact resistance and reliable fixing.”
The complexity of the project was instrumental in Dura's
decision to choose ENGEL as the systems supplier. “We
wanted to deal with a single partner who would coordinate all of the interfaces on our behalf”, says Kaiser. “This
was the only way to get such a wide-ranging project off
the ground in a relatively short time.” Dura's contact
person is Jürgen Schulze of ENGEL Automatisierungstechnik in Hagen, which is not far from Plettenberg – and
the proximity between the two firms helped to simplify
coordination during the planning phase. “Every turnkey
system is unique”, says Jürgen Schulze.
After injection molding, the viper robot removes the
two parts from the mold and transfers them to the laser
system. The industrial robot picks up the parts and
turns them into the right position for plasma treatment
of the panel undersides, so that a polyurethane sealing
bead – the third component – can finally be applied.
“A very glossy black surface acts like a mirror”, says
Michal Horský, Managing Director of Dura Automo­tive
CZ, highlighting the demands on the precision of the
injection molding process. “Every deformation and sink
mark results in rejection.” Alongside the quality of the
mold, the tempering and the clamping force of the
machine, the surface finish depends above all on the
parallelism of the mold platens. “We built systems for
measuring parallelism into our first machines”, reveals
Jakub Havel, head of production in Strakonice. “Now
we know we can rely totally on the stability of the clamping units in ENGEL duo machines.”
Made-to-measure robotics
While the older ENGEL injection molding machines in
Strakonice are still equipped with linear robots in the
ENGEL ERC range, the more recent systems work with
robots from the new generation of ENGEL viper linear robots. “We realised that the viper robots offered
us a made-to-measure solution”, says Thomas Kaiser,
The glossy black surface of the panels acts like a mirror, which
places high demands on the precision of the injection moulding
process. The PUR bead is attached to the underside of the panel
directly after injection moulding.
_19
ENGEL injection-2012
Heartbeat of the factory
The "Nivea for Men shaver" by Philips is winning over even die-hard devotees
of wet shaving; the shaver actually lubricates the skin while shaving at the touch of
a button. This blast of freshness supplied by the shaver is one of the latest innovations by the Dutch electronics group – and one that is also refreshing its production
operations in Drachten, west of Groningen. The front parts of the shaver handle are
manufactured using tri-component injection moulding with integrated in-mould labelling; and to facilitate this process, ENGEL has supplied a new manufacturing cell.
Three functions are incorporated into the shaver's
handle: the extend/retract button for the shaver heads,
the refreshing gel dispenser button and a display that
indicates battery life to the user. The new shaver models can also be used in the shower, so water-tightness
is essential: surfaces must be smooth, with as few joint
lines as possible. The integration of pushbuttons into a
continuously sealed handle surface is made possible
by the partial use of elastomers combined with inmould labelling.
Two different types of ABS and one TPE are processed
in the new manufacturing cell. Back injection moulding
produces three-dimensional pre-formed films with the
Tri-component injection moulding plus in-mould labelling: ENGEL provided a new manufacturing cell to produce front parts for shaver handles.
20_ENGEL injection-2012
The Philips machine park in Drachten contains a total of 60 injection
moulding machines. (Fig.: Philips)
machine and system needs to be attuned to the heartbeat of our factory.” The injection moulding process is
followed by assembly, so provided the interim storage
facility is well-stocked, the injection moulding machine
has to take a break.
Tie-bar-less technology offers advantages in terms of parts handling.
The robots can access the mould room from the side. (Fig.: Philips)
lettering 'Nivea for Men' on a blue and white striped
background. Nivea is partnering Philips on this product
and also manufactures the shaving conditioner provided with the finished product in a replaceable cartridge
inside the handle.
“As far as I am aware, we are the only company in the
world that mass produces tri-component parts with
in-mould labelling”, says Jappi Halma, maintenance
engineer at Philips Consumer Lifestyle in Drachten.
The manufacturing cell comprises an ENGEL victory 220 combi injection moulding machine. Label and
parts handling is performed by a Kuka multi-axis robot
in combination with special automation components
developed by ENGEL. As a systems supplier, ENGEL
accepts full responsibility for the manufacturing cell and
also incorporated the integration of the multi-axis robot
into the overall concept. The mould and handling area
is enclosed to ensure dust-free operation and thus
reduce the level of rejects.
Tie-bar-less offers advantages
The cycle times for the tri-component machine range
between 12 and 14 seconds. “But for us, the speed
of the injection moulding process is not priority number
one”, stresses Halma. “What is more important is the
interplay between the various production stages. We
want to be producing continuously, so every single
Each injection moulding machine at Philips in Drachten
only works with a small number of specific moulds, so
moulds need to be changed less often than in many
other plastics processing businesses. Despite this,
product changes must be carried out very quickly and
simply. This is an area in which the tie-bar-less design
of the ENGEL victory machine guarantees time savings.
Tie-bar-less technology also offers advantages in terms
of parts handling. The fact that robots can access the
mould room from the side means that “we can place
our multi-axis robots closer to the machine than units
with tie-bars would allow”, as Halma confirms.
The tie-bar-less design generally enables smaller
machines to be deployed than the mould size would
normally dictate, which also cuts back on the space
requirement. Moulds are relatively large in multi-component applications in particular, and comparatively low
clamping force is required on account of the rather
small part surfaces projected. Where a clamping unit
operates without tie-bars, the mould can project beyond the edges of the mould fixing platens.
Three decades of partnership
The Philips machine park in Drachten contains a total of 60 injection moulding machines, two thirds of
which were provided by ENGEL. Philips received its first
ENGEL machine precisely 30 years ago. All machines
are linked by means of a group-wide IT system. For
data interchange, Philips also uses a module from the
ENGEL PDA e-factory solution. “A system which is easy
to operate is important for the machines and for this
area. Thanks to its different user levels, the e-factory
fully meets this need”, says Halma.
_21
ENGEL injection-2012
Lord of the rings
Seals – such as O-rings – are central to the reliability and safety of many different applications. This means that product developers are constantly facing new challenges. Moreover,
especially standard mass-market products are subject to particularly strong price pressure.
For these products to be built competitively in Europe, highly reliable and precise manufacturing technology is essential.
Parker-Prädifa is a global market leader in the field
of O-rings, the world's most popular type of gasket.
Alongside high-quality sealing systems, the Parker Seal
Group produces EMI shielding and thermal management materials (to provide shielding against electromagnetic interference, for example). Within Europe, the
Seal Group carries out production at ten sites in eight
countries. One of its production plants is located in the
northern Italian town of Adro. Here in what is known
as 'rubber valley' southwest of Lake Iseo, there are
surely more seal manufacturers in close proximity to
one another than in any other region.
The automobile industry is an important market for the
plant in Adro. However, O-rings made by Parker are
also installed in construction vehicles, lorries, aeroplanes, crude oil and natural gas conveyor systems, kitchen and bathroom installations, hydraulic and pneumatic systems, components for refrigeration and air
conditioning systems, the fuel supply field as well as
surgical instruments and drug administration systems
– to give just some examples.
22_ENGEL injection-2012
High precision, high availability
“It's very important to minimise burrs, especially in Oring production”, says Michael Forstner, general manager of the European O-Ring Division of Parker Hannifin,
summing up one key requirement. To achieve this,
injection moulding machines with high clamping force
and excellent plane parallelism of mould plates are
required. The newest machines in the Adro machine
park have been supplied by ENGEL. The hall contains
four new horizontal ENGEL victory 500/220 rubber
units in addition to one vertical ENGEL elast 400 V
machine. “Our customers demand stable processes,
and we know we can depend on the quality of ENGEL
machines”, says Forstner, explaining the brand focus
of production. “Only reliable systems engineering can
enable us to stay competitive by providing the quality
required by our customers.”
However, the high accuracy and availability of the machines is only one side of the coin where the highly efficient and cost-effective production of O-rings is concerned. Other criteria in the choice of manufacturing
The machine park has four horizontal ENGEL victory 500/220 rubber
injection moulding machines. (Fig.: Parker Hannifin)
Adro in northern Italy is one of ten European production sites for the
Parker O-Ring Division Europe.
technology include low maintenance costs and short
set-up times – and ENGEL victory machines score
highly on these points thanks to their tie-bar-less
construction. Barrier-free access to the mould room
also facilitates fast mould changes and simplifies the
cleaning process.
It is not only moulds that change frequently; the same
applies to materials. The product range comprises 300
standard materials, from nitriles and butyl rubbers to
silicones and perfluorelastomers. The development of
new materials is one of the core fields of expertise
of the gaskets division of the Parker Hannifin Group.
Forstner emphasises that, “To our customers, we are
not just a seal supplier – in the case of a new development, we are a partner from the concept stage to
deployment on the ground." To tailor sealing systems
to the specific needs of clients, materials experts work
closely with the company's own mould production
shop in Pleidelsheim, Germany.
Both supplier and customer
Parker is continually adapting not just its products but
also its production processes in response to new requirements and trends – and ENGEL is involved as a
development partner. “We are currently working with
ENGEL on the issue of cycle time reduction as well
as the fine-tuning of injection moulding and post-processing in order to cut down on rejects still more”,
reveals Forstner. “This means we are benefiting from
the innovative flair of ENGEL.”
The remarkable thing about the partnership between
Parker and ENGEL is the fact that ENGEL is not just
a supplier to the firm, but also a customer; over many
years of collaboration, the Parker Hannifin Corpor­ation
has become a major systems supplier to ENGEL.
Amongst other things, ENGEL installs Parker Hannifin
servo motors as well as hydraulic and pneumatic components in its injection moulding machines.
“Only reliable systems engineering
can enable us to
stay competitive
by providing the
quality required by
our customers.”
Michael Forstner, general manager of the
European O-Ring Division of Parker Hannifin.
(Fig.: Parker Hannifin)
_23
ENGEL injection-2012
Argomm ensures consistently high product quality through state-of-the-art injection moulding technology.
Single source for a global business
As a provider of development and production services linked to plastic and rubber products for the international automotive industry, Argomm – a company based in Villongo,
close to Bergamo in northern Italy – is called on to demonstrate flexibility every day. “Our
competitive advantage is expertise across a number of fields”, says company owner Ercole
Galizzi. “Where mechanical engineering is concerned, therefore, we need a partner that can
handle a wide range of technologies.” No wonder Argomm chooses ENGEL to expand and
modernize its factory equipment.
Wide-ranging expertise is a key competitive advantage of Argomm.
The manufacturing hall houses eleven ENGEL injection moulding machines. Most of these are elast machines for the production of o-rings and other rubber/
LSR sealing products; the hall also contains combimelt machines that process thermoplastics and
elastomers in a single step. The majority of machines
are equipped with robots. One ENGEL victory combimelt
machine with clamping force of 200 tons, for example, is used to produce petrol fillers in an automated
two-component procedure. The filler necks, made of
fibreglass reinforced polypropylene and EPDM, are
24_ENGEL injection-2012
installed in the Fiat Panda, amongst other vehicles.
“High levels of process consistency and reproducibility are extremely important to us, and that’s what
we get from ENGEL injection moulding machines”,
emphasises Battista Morina, Managing Director of
Argomm. “Our customers in the automotive sector
are continually demanding more, so it’s essential that
we can rely completely on our machine park. Another
advantage is the fact that the control system on the
injection moulding machines is easily integrated into
our factory data capture system.”
Petrol fillers are manufactured in an automated two-component procedure (middle).
Moreover, ENGEL’s Italian subsidiary in Vimercate is
just a short drive from Villongo. “Thanks to our prox­
imity, it’s easy to work together on specific and detailed solutions. We can always get together quickly”,
adds Morina.
Specialising in magnetic plastics
A speciality of Argomm is the manufacturing of plastic-bonded magnets, whereby magnetic powder is
embedded in a polymer matrix and processed by injection moulding. In this field, Argomm has started by
producing rubber-based magnetic products before
moving into the mass production of polyamide-based
wheel speed sensors for its customer SKF within
the past year. “Whereas rubber processing requires
a lot of manual work, production of thermoplasticbased magnetic plastics is largely automated, which
means we can guarantee customers low unit costs”,
reveals Morina.
The automotive branch makes up the lion’s share (63
percent) of Argomm’s turnover; the company also
has customers in the electronics, building services,
household goods, plant construction, medical engineering and packaging sectors.
On course for global expansion
Established in 1981 in Villongo, Argomm now forms
the main entity and the headquarters of the AR Group,
with a generated turnover of some €50 million in 2010
and has sales and production sites in Italy, Spain
and Romania. Ercole Galizzi is also looking to Asia
as the company seeks to expand. “That’s why it is
becoming increasingly important that our suppliers
have a global presence – and with ENGEL we have
nothing to worry about in that regard.”
Of the 400 employees of the AR Group, 220 work for Argomm in
Villongo.
“High levels of process consistency and
reproducibility are
very important.”
Battista Morina
Managing Director Argomm
“Our competitive advantage is the expertise in many business
fields.”
Ercole Galizzi
Owner and CEO Argomm
_25
ENGEL injection-2012
110 mm long, 28 mm wide and 35 mm tall: the Wiking Lübeck Fire Brigade fire engine mirrors the
original in every single detail. When extended, the
ladder has a length of 380 mm. (photo: Sieper)
On par with the automotive industry
A sprue isn't just a sprue, and it isn't automatically just waste or material for recycling. Sieper
in Lüdenscheid/Germany uses the sprue as an aid for ongoing processing of the moulded
parts. Because the sprue needs to have a certain length to allow this to happen, the model
and toy car manufacturer relies on injection moulding machines with vertical injection units.
With some vehicles you virtually need a magnifying
glass to be able to see all the details, especially in
the interior. From the gear lever through to the cup
holder, these model vehicles on a scale of 1:87 are
identical to the originals, and even the seats move.
"But we mainly focus on the bodywork," emphasises
Andrè Lemke, the Head of Plastics Manufacturing
with Sieper. "We need perfect surfaces and the paint
on the vehicle must be glossy. With our model cars,
this means being on par with the automobile industry." After all, collectors are very demanding.
Eight wings are injected in a single cycle using a 4+4
cavity mould. The sets of eight leave the machine with
the sprue. And experienced injection moulders might
think that it was slightly too large. But the opposite is
true because the sprue isn't waste at this stage of the
production process. "We use the sprue as a holder
in the downstream painting process," reveals Lemke.
"If we needed to use tweezers to grip the small parts
for coating, painting, or printing, the surface finishing
process would take far more time and the risk of
rejects would be much greater."
Sieper combines two brands under a single roof.
Wiking stands for models with accuracy in detail and
Siku for robust children's toys. Although the target
groups and their requirements differ, the two product
ranges have one thing in common. The vehicles and
accessories are mainly made of polymer materials.
The company mainly uses ABS, PS and SEBS for the
tyres. Following injection moulding, the small parts
are coated, printed, or hand-painted and finally assembled.
Custom solution with vertical injection unit
To be able to keep the moulds compact despite the
large dimensions of the sprue, the company's own
mould makers decided to inject the plasticised material from the top rather than using the traditional
horizontal method. Sieper was unimpressed by standard injection moulding machines in this application.
"The solution that we have implemented is basically a
downgraded multiple-component machine", reports
Otto Tewes, project engineer with ENGEL Germany
in Hagen, who developed a custom solution with an
ENGEL victory 80/40 V in cooperation with his customer. "ENGEL's flexibility in customising the machine
to meet our requirements was an important criterion
in selecting a supplier," says Lemke. Another important aspect was the tie-bar-less clamping units
on the victory model range. Very small moulds, but
also large, complex moulds with core-pulls, can be
mounted on the same machine. "Some of the small
The machine park in Lüdenscheid houses 30 injection moulding machines with clamping forces be­
tween 15 and 80 tonnes. In 2011, three new ENGEL
victory 80/40 type machines were added to increase
capacity. One of these new machines produces the
wings for the new Lübeck Fire Brigade fire engine
from the current Wiking collection. With an overall vehicle length of 11 cm, the wings measure just 10 mm.
26_ENGEL injection-2012
Three new ENGEL
victory 80/40 machines were commissioned in Lüdenscheid in 2011.
The ex tra long sprue is
used as a holder for painting the wings.
moulds are so light that we can mount them manually
in the machine," says Lemke. "Now, our fitters don't
need to bend through the tie-bars to do this. This has
made tooling times much shorter."
Small batches define business. In some cases, runs
of just 3000 to 5000 units are produced for collectors
items. Add to this the huge range of models. The
current Wiking catalogue includes no less than 350
vehicles, and more than 400 models are produced
under the Siku brand. This means that Sieper goes
through 80 to 100 mould changes per week.
"We have improved efficiency in our production," says Andrè Lemke, Sieper.
For the current Touareg model there are no less than
eight moulds. As an exclusive partner of Volkswagen,
Sieper produces the new models parallel to the introduction of the new vehicles. Original VW colours are
used to paint the plastic bodywork, from Campanella
White to Night Blue Metallic. To achieve a perfect,
glossy finish the uniform surface of the plastic parts
without parting lines and sink marks is absolutely essential. Considering the thin wall thicknesses of the
vehicle roofs, which are just 0.2 mm in some cases,
this is a major challenge. "We are already in the thinwalled injection moulding field here," says Lemke.
_27
ENGEL injection-2012
ENGEL Injection_en/02-2012
ENGEL AUSTRIA GmbH | A-4311 Schwertberg | tel: +43 (0)50 620 0 | fax: +43 (0)50 620 3009
e-mail: sales@engel.at | www.engelglobal.com
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